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It was to be one of the biggest film releases of 2020. Marking the last 007 film for Daniel Craig, hype was well and truly building for the drop of No Time To Die into cinemas during April, however, amid the coronavirus outbreak in much of Asia and now in Europe fears of the disease has stopped the forthcoming film in its tracks. Announced overnight, MGM, Eon and Universal have decided to postpone the 25th James Bond film until November.
“MGM, Universal and Bond producers, Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, announced today that after careful consideration and thorough evaluation of the global theatrical marketplace, the release of NO TIME TO DIE will be postponed until November 2020,” it was revealed on Twitter.
MGM, Universal and Bond producers, Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, announced today that after careful consideration and thorough evaluation of the global theatrical marketplace, the release of NO TIME TO DIE will be postponed until November 2020. pic.twitter.com/a9h1RP5OKd
— James Bond (@007) March 4, 2020
It will now come out in the UK on November 12, and in the US on November 25.
The world premiere was scheduled for March 31, but with large scale public gatherings banned in countries such as China, Japan, South Korea as well as European nations such as France and Switzerland for indoor events, it is feared that the coronavirus could wipe $5 billion US ($7.5 billion AUD) off the global box office.
“Just one person, who may not even show symptoms, could infect the rest of the audience,” wrote the founders of MI6 Confidential and The James Bond Dossier, in an open letter on Monday.
This will not be the only film release to be affected by coronavirus. The Hollywood Reporter editorial director Matthew Belloni wrote that it was “a huge and very costly move, and a sign of what’s likely to come with Hollywood’s big summer movies”.
No Time To Die has been plagued with problems since early production. Daniel Craig suffered an ankle injury on set, Cary Joji Fukunaga stepped up to replace Danny Boyle as director and a small explosion in London injured a crew member. Perhaps the film title has more to do with its set backs than the plot line at this point.
Stay tuned for further developments.
